July 21-25, 2014

Today in the News Media

Today in the News Media is a synopsis of some of the most prominent coverage of OSU people and programs. Inclusion of any item constitutes neither an endorsement nor a critique, but rather is intended only to make the OSU community aware of significant items in the media.

Now a psychologist at Oregon State University has a new maxim for working women: Quit it with the sexy selfies already. They make you look way less competent — at least to your female peers. (see also Daily Telegraph,TIME, International Business Times)

The U.S. Department of Education granted Oregon State University almost $400,000 to examine the academic performance of current and former English language learners and determine what type of instruction best supports their achievement. (see also OPB)

The Oregon State University Board of Trustees on Friday approved the university’s operating budget for the 2014-15 fiscal year, and also approved new master and doctoral degree programs in robotics and bachelor degree programs in religious studies. (see also Gazette-Times)

Scott Baker, associate director of Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal Institute, agreed. “The often disreputable behavior of the whaling industry in the past, and some whaling nations today, does not inspire much confidence in a good faith return to commercial whaling,” he said.

The findings were made by biochemists from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, and published in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, a professional journal. The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, through the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. (see also Yahoo India, Science Codex)

Among the 14 men who have served as president of Oregon State University, Paul Risser had one of the shorter tenures. But in a little more than six years, Risser, who died last week in Oklahoma, accomplished enough to leave a legacy that will last decades.

The “frequency and prevalence of antibiotic use in this patient population is a concern,” study author Jon Furuno, an associate professor in the Oregon State University/Oregon Health and Science University College of Pharmacy, said in a university news release. (see also Senior Journal, Third Age, McKnights, NewsDay)

But corals are disappearing. In the Carribean, coral cover has shrunk from 60% to 5%, says microbiologist Rebecca Vega Thurber. While a warming oceans and pollution play a role, Vega Thurber suspects disease is also crippling the world’s corals. She and her team at the Oregon State University have been studying viruses that live inside the corals. Many of them carry viruses, even healthy corals, Vega Thurber explains.

Standing in front of her herd of goats as they graze on ivy in front of the Crop Science Building on the Oregon State University campus, she jokes about chasing a particularly stubborn escape artist across a golf course for two hours. That goat was subsequently “fired.” (see also KMTR, KEZI)

“We know there’s magma underneath these volcanoes, but if we can image the source and understand the relationship between them, it could tell us important things about this area,” said Adam Schultz, a geophysicist at Oregon State University in Corvallis, who is also helping lead the project. (see also Yahoo)

But a study by Oregon State University revealed that lionfish reduced the juvenile fish population of one reef by 79% in only five weeks. These are the same reefs that provide jobs to fishermen and tourist guides, and also help protect coastlines of low-lying areas from storms and tidal forces. This is no smaller matter in Belize—the former capital Belize City, home to a quarter of the country’s population, lies almost entirely below sea level.

However, this message was undermined by research earlier this year from the Oregon State University, which found that girls who play with Barbie dolls see fewer career options for themselves than for boys.

So yes, we love our dogs. Can we love them too much? Monique Udell, an assistant professor of Animal and Rangeland Sciences at Oregon State University, thinks we may be walking that line. “There’s a lot of social pressure to treat dogs as members of the family, but that impacts their behavior,” she says. Udell is horrified to see fully clothed dogs being pushed in strollers but comments that even seemingly benign behavior can have a negative impact.

“When we think of climate change, we automatically think warmer temperatures,” Matthew Betts, an Oregon State University ecologist, said in a statement. “But our analysis found that for many species, it is precipitation that most affects the long-term survival of many bird species.”

Chemists and students in science and engineering at Oregon State University have created a new type of chemical test, or assay, that’s inexpensive, simple, and can tell whether or not one of the primary drugs being used to treat malaria is genuine – an enormous and deadly problem in the developing world. (see also The Health Site, Health Canal, Shiny Shiny)

Bob Moore, founder of Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods, and his wife, Charlee, donated $25 million to create an institute for nutrition and wellness at OHSU in 2011. Before that, they gave $5 million to Oregon State University to start a research and outreach center focusing on nutrition and disease prevention. Moore asked the universities to use the money to tackle unhealthy eating and inadequate nutrition with scientific research, but also public education.

When Oregon State University faculty recently read about the University of Oregon’s “clusters of excellence” hiring plan, they said: “Been there, doing that.” OSU has added about 180 faculty over two years concentrated in narrow areas of research — much like the UO’s planned clusters of excellence.

Collaboration Corvallis was the first step in an effort to bring city officials and campus administrators together to resolve some of the bigger problems common to a university town, but this summer, a new player has been added to the mix to bring a face to OSU beyond the president and top officials. Jonathan Stoll has stepped into the newly created position of director of Corvallis Community Relations at OSU.

MaxEnt, Desktop GARP and Biomod, are all examples of open source freeware, while others are licenced packages – MARS, for example, is trademarked and available to buy from data-mining and predictive analytics specialist Salford Systems; but the open-source implementation of MARS is called ‘Earth’. Some scientists working in invasive species research develop their own SDMs: for instance, Oregon State University built its own model to predict which non-native species might become invaders.

The oxygen-rich surface waters of the world’s major oceans are supersaturated with methane–a powerful greenhouse gas that is roughly 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide–yet little is known about the source of this methane. A new OSU study demonstrates the ability of some strains of the oceans’ most abundant organism–SAR11–to generate methane as a byproduct of breaking down a compound for its phosphorus.

The Caribbean needs integration that goes beyond economics and focuses on the social side, because it is now required to to deal with old and new giants like China and the United States, said Dwaine Plaza (Oregon State University), president of the Association for Caribbean Studies. (This article is in Spanish. See also Por Esto, and also)

Abi Farsoni, an associate professor of nuclear engineering at OSU says the devices tell what kind of radiation is around those wearing them, how much, and if it’s a health risk, according to findings published in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research. (see also GizMag, Clean Technica)

There have been few potato psyllids spotted in eastern Oregon this year, which is making it difficult for Oregon State University researchers to report results of a field trial designed to find the best pesticide treatments for controlling the insects, which can spread the zebra chip disease in potato fields.

“One thing these cameras are showing us is that, in many cases, tissue temperature is very different from the air temperature,” said Still, an associate professor in the department of forest ecosystems and society at Oregon State University. “It’s hotter typically during the day and much colder at night.”

The calf likely got separated from its mother and was too young at about 6 months old to survive on his own, said Professor Douglas Warrick from Oregon State University. Warrick is teaching a class at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology in Coos Bay.

Program development for the testing site is already underway. Range operators said they’ve already conducted some demo flights with Oregon State University. Back in May, the team flew a drone over a prescribed burn in the reservation’s Mutton Mountains.

The Extension Service runs demonstration gardens and 4-H programs at county fairs throughout the state, ranging from livestock shows and auctions to garden produce, arts, food preservation and floral arrangements. Without the 4-H programs, the fair “would just be a carnival,” said OSU Extension’s Pat Willis.

In Portland, Vilsack toured Oregon State University’s Food Innovation Center, which helps entrepreneurs take food ideas to market. Vilsack said he tasted a seaweed product. “It’s an acquired taste for a Midwest guy,” he said.

Christopher McKnight Nichols will be a featured guest on Philosophy Talk’s program on the “The New Surveillance Society” which will air nationally on NPR on Sunday July 27, and throughout that week. The show was taped in front of a large live audience in Corvallis in May 2014.

But not to worry. According to a press release from Oregon State University, nontoxic dyes, harmless to fish, wildlife or water quality, will be released as part of a research project by the Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory into swirling eddy currents, especially as they relate to breakwaters and tsunami impacts in the ocean.

ChickTech is based in Portland but plans to be nationwide by 2016. At ChickTech, women like Jennifer Davidson (OSU computer science alum) and ChickTech founder Janice Levenhagen-Seeley (OSU alum), give girls a chance. A jumping off point. A view into a world that can also be theirs.

There’s little flash to Gill Coliseum. But it is a place that glows in the hearts of the athletes and audiences who spent memorable time there. Built in 1949, it ranks with historic sports venues such as Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium or Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse — all revered by college basketball fans.

The FORCE Lab, the biomechanics laboratory led by Oregon State University – Cascades and private partners, is seeking subjects for two research studies examining how knee braces effect individuals with knee joint pain.

Oregon State University researchers in Ontario have found that bulb onions pose no risk of E. coli contamination from irrigation water regardless of how they are irrigated and regarless of how much bacteria is present in the water

There is also a product called Blossom Protect made from a naturally occurring yeast, which shows promise in the battle against fire blight. Trials at Oregon State University demonstrate it is up to 90 percent effective, particularly when it’s sprayed after the traditional lime sulfur application in the early spring since the lime sulfur can kill the yeast in Blossom Protect. But when sprayed after the lime sulfur, they each inhibit the growth of the fire blight bacteria.

“I have a special place in my heart for Corvallis because I attended Oregon State University, and so have two of my daughters, in addition to other family members as well,” Dussin said in an emailed message. “We are looking forward to building great relationships with members of the community and the university in the coming months and years.”

The winners of the basic category are first place, Oregon State University, second place, ETS Montreal. The winners of the advanced category are first place: Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, second place: ETS Montreal. Jim Furfaro Award for Technical Excellence, University of Washington. R. Gilbert Moore Award for Innovation, University of Toronto. Payload Award, Oregon State University.

Tuesday

Mendeley Workshop at The Valley Library: The Summer Grad Student & Faculty Workshop Series kicks off with Mendeley on July 22. Learn to capture, manage and cite your research sources with this free tool. Register to save your seat and review the full series offerings at http://bit.ly/graduate-workshops. Questions? Contact Hannah.Rempel@oregonstate.edu

Debrah Rarick retirement celebration:A celebration to honor Debrah Rarick’s retirement will be held at 3 p.m., July 22 in the Magruder Hall Lobby.

Wednesday

Interim Associate Provost for Academic Success and Engagement: There are three finalists for the Interim Associate Provost for Academic Success and Engagement Search. Campus forums have been scheduled for this week. These meetings are open to anyone in the university community, and will include a brief presentation by the candidate, followed by time for Q&A. Kevin Gable, Professor, Department of Chemistry, July 23, 10:30 to 11:15 a.m., Hallie Ford Center, Room 115.

NEW! Watercolor Wellness Wednesday: Come explore art as an avenue of stress relief and stress management.July 23,11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Open to faculty, staff and students on a drop-in basis in Snell 149.

Afternoon Public Sale at the OSUsed Store: The OSUsed Store is open for its public sale Wednesday, noon to 3 p.m. at 644 SW 13th Street. Personal purchases must be made during public sales. Departments may shop 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, or during public sales on Wednesdays. For more information, visit our website.

Thursday

Interim Associate Provost for Academic Success and Engagement: There are three finalists for the Interim Associate Provost for Academic Success and Engagement Search. Campus forums have been scheduled for this week. These meetings are open to anyone in the university community, and will include a brief presentation by the candidate, followed by time for Q&A. Janet Nishihara, Director, Educational Opportunities Program, July 24, 10 to 10:45 a.m., Hallie Ford Center, Room 115.

Interim Associate Provost for Academic Success and Engagement: There are three finalists for the Interim Associate Provost for Academic Success and Engagement Search. Campus forums have been scheduled for this week. These meetings are open to anyone in the university community, and will include a brief presentation by the candidate, followed by time for Q&A. Leslie Burns, Professor, School of Design and Human Environment, July 25, 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., Hallie Ford Center, Room 115.

Unizin campus forum: A campus forum will be held July 25, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., Kidder 202, to discuss Unizin, a potential new learning management ecosystem for the university. This forum is being held at the request of the Provost, and is open to all OSU faculty, staff and students.

Saturday

Weber celebration of life: A celebration of life is being held for Lavern John Weber, director of Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center for 25 years and a leader in the development of Newport as a marine science education and research center. The event will be held on Saturday, July 26 beginning at 6 p.m. in the Hatfield Marine Science Visitor Center in Newport, Oregon. The public is welcome.

Lectures and Webinars

Search Advocate sessions: More sessions of the Search Advocate full-day summer workshop have been added by popular demand! Be prepared to work with search committees on the 2014-15 Provost’s Initiative searches–or any other searches—by completing this workshop covering strategies to enhance validity, fairness, and diversity in the search process. Instead of requiring the typical two-workshop series (totaling 10 hours), this summer we are streamlining the workshop to a single day ( 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., breakfast and lunch included). Register at the OSU Professional Development website http://oregonstate.edu/training/index.php for either July 30 or Aug. 6. September sessions are also available before classes begin, either Sept. 22 or Sept. 25. Questions? Contact Anne Gillies anne.gillies@oregonstate.edu or 541-737-0865.

Adventure leadership Institute Class for Credit – Hiking Local Trails Class: Enjoy the local outdoors and register for PAC 22 Hiking Local Trails. This class will get you out and about in the beautiful Corvallis area to soak up sunshine and keep you active. The class runs Tuesdays & Thursdays, July 22 through Aug. 18. Sign-up through the University online registration system found here. For additional information about “Hiking Local Trails,” contact the ALI at 541-737-4254.

STEM Workshops for Educators: Offered by OSU research faculty. Free. Lunch provided. Limited funds available to support lodging costs for participants more than 80 miles away. July 31-Aug. 1: Explorations in Nanotechnology for 6-12th Grade Educators. Aug. 11-12: Climate Change and Ocean Acidification. Aug. 14-15: Biological Motions through the Lens-An Advanced Light Microscopy Workshop. To register or for more information, email Kari van Zee, Program Coordinator STEPs, at vanzeek@science.oregonstate.edu; 541-737-1773.

News for Employees

NEW! UHDS Fall 2014 Opening and Early Arrival Information: UHDS Fall 2014 Move-In will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 23 and Wednesday, Sept. 24. OSU departments and programs that require students to arrive prior to Move-In must complete the Early Arrival Request Form by Aug. 1. Visit http://bit.ly/uhdsearlygrouparrival for further details and contact information.

NEW! Hip Hop Mini-Symposium and Festival: The College of Liberal Arts in conjunction with the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles and the Popular Music Studies Program at OSU will host a one-day conference and festival on the topic of Hip Hop Music and Culture Oct. 17. The conference will bring together scholarship and performance. The keynote is hip hop performer MC Lyte. Abstracts are being accepted for paper sessions and should be no longer than 500 words for a 20-minute presentation. We are interested in the interdisciplinary aspects of hip hop culture and music. Proposals should be sent with the subject heading: “Hip Hop Symposium Abstract” to Dana Reason by Friday, Aug. 15. Acceptance notices will be posted Aug. 25. Accepted applicants must provide their own travel and lodging.

NEW! Recreational Sports Summer Half-Term Membership – Available for Purchase today: It’s not too late to get and stay active this summer with Recreational Sports! Enjoy state-of-the-art cardio/weight equipment, group exercise classes, intramural sports/special tournaments and outdoor adventure with the Adventure Leadership Institute. A half-term membership costs only $41 (faculty/staff/affiliates/dependents) and only $34 for students (and their affiliates/dependents). Contact Ali Casqueiro, Membership Coordinator, for more information.

NEW! NIST collaboration: The Office for Research Development is requesting letters of intent for theNational Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)-Department of Commerce-Community Resilience Center of Excellence Program. NIST is soliciting applications to establish a Community Resilience Center of Excellence in which NIST researchers collaborate with interdisciplinary researchers from academia and industry on development of tools and standardized methods that will enhance the disaster resilience of communities. Guidelines http://oregonstate.edu/research/incentive/dhs-circ. Information: Mary Phillips- mary.phillips@oregonstate.edu. Deadline: Monday, Aug. 4.

NEW! Office of Research Development: The Office for Research Development is requesting letters of intent for theDepartment of Homeland Security-Science &Technology Critical Infrastructure Resilience Center of Excellence (CIRC) – Center Lead and Center Partner programs. The DHS, S&T Directorate is requesting applications from U.S. colleges and universities to serve as a partner institution for a Critical Infrastructure Resilience Center of Excellence (CIRC). In addition, applications are being requested for an institution to serve as the center lead. Guidelines: http://oregonstate.edu/research/incentive/dhs-circ. Information: Mary Phillips- mary.phillips@oregonstate.edu. Deadline: Monday, Aug. 4.

Funding Opportunity: The OSU Venture Development Fund has announced a Request for Proposals. OSU Venture Development funding is a competitive process open to OSU faculty eligible for principal investigator (PI) status to facilitate development and commercialization of intellectual property (IP) created by OSU faculty and students. Program details including the RFP: http://oregonstate.edu/research/occd/osuventurefund; Contact Jianbo.Hu@oregonstate.edu; 541-737-2366 with any questions.

eRA system evaluation: The Research Office, in collaboration with the Environmental Health & Safety Office, and with the participation of evaluation committee members representing different administrative and academic units, is evaluating six competing bids to provide OSU with an electronic research administration (eRA) system that would be used by their respective compliance offices, and by OSU faculty and staff. The eRA initiative is designed to make it easier and less time consuming for OSU community members to maintain compliance with the many rules and regulations that govern Human Subjects research, Animal Care and Use, Conflicts of Interest, Small Boat and Diving Safety, Export Controls, Biological Safety, Chemical Safety, and Radiation Safety. All interested faculty and staff are encouraged to view the demos and complete a brief online survey by July 25. View demos here: http://oregonstate.edu/research/ori/era

Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers Program: The Office for Research Development is requesting letters of intent for the National Science Foundation-Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers Program. The Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers (I/UCRC) program develops long-term partnerships among industry, academe, and government. Each center is established to conduct research that is of interest to both the industry members and the center faculty. Guidelines: http://oregonstate.edu/research/incentive/nsf-iucrc Information: Mary Phillips- mary.phillips@oregonstate.edu Deadline: Monday, Nov. 3.

2014-16 Oregon Coastal Resilience & Adaptation Graduate Fellowships: Oregon Sea Grant is now accepting applications from graduate students who are affiliated with any Oregon institution of higher education for research projects that apply accepted social science methodology to address resilience and adaptation related to the state’s important marine and coastal issues. For more information: http://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/education/fellowships. Courtesy email due July 28. Complete applications due before 5 p.m., Aug. 18.

Jobs

Cordley Hall: As part of the ongoing winter storm damage repairs, Campus Way between 26th & 30th streets, and the sidewalk located on the SE corner of the building, will be closed for crane staging July 28, 7 a.m. to noon. This is necessary to lift coils onto the roof of Cordley Hall.

The Office of Intercultural Student Services is currently seeking applicants for a full-time professional position – Women’s Center Coordinator. Posting #0012695. Closes July 21.

The Department of Chemistry at Oregon State University invites applicants for a full-time (1.0 FTE), 12-month Chemist 3 position. Posting # 0012086. Full consideration date July 21.

The Office of Human Resources is seeking a Human Resources Officer. This is a full-time (1.0 FTE), 12-month, fixed term professional faculty position. Reappointment is at the discretion of the Assistant Vice President. Posting #0012768. Closes July 24.

Education Program Assistant 1– Extension Family and Community Health invites applications for a part-time, (.46 FTE) Education Program Assistant 1 position in Benton County. Posting # 0012770. Closes July 25.

Department Head– The Department of Agricultural Education and General Agriculture in the College of Agricultural Sciences invites applications for a full-time (1.0 FTE), 12-month, tenured administrator Department Head position. Posting #0012500. Closes July 25.

The University Administrative Business Center (UABC) invites applicants for a full-time (1.0 FTE) 12-month Finance Coordinator position. Reappointment is at the discretion of the Business Center Manager. Posting #0012788. Closes July 28.

Assistant Professor (Practice)– The College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University invites applications for a full-time (1.0 FTE), 12-month, Assistant Professor of Practice position, located in Warm Springs, OR. Posting # 0012753. Closes Aug. 8.

Education Program Assistant 1– Extension Family and Community Health invites applications for a part-time, (.46 FTE) Education Program Assistant 1 position located in Baker City. Posting # 0012805. Closes Aug. 10.

The College of Veterinary Medicine’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital is hiring a Veterinary Technician 2 position for the Diagnostic Imaging Service. Interested parties should apply to posting #0012813 no later than Aug. 24. Applicants must be Certified Veterinary Technicians to be considered.

The College of Veterinary Medicine’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital will be opening a Veterinary Technician 3 position for the Small Animal Urgent Care/ICU Service on July 4. Interested parties should apply to posting #0012733 no later than Aug. 22. Applicants must be Certified Veterinary Technicians to be considered.

Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine – OSU invites applications for the Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. Posting # 0012628. Closes for full consideration Sept. 1.

Traffic and maintenance

Magruder lots: Parking Services will be re-striping the Magruder North and South parking lots July 22, 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Sidewalk closure at Kerr: As part of the Washington Way Realignment/15th Street Improvement Project, an accelerated sidewalk work schedule has given crews the opportunity to replace panels along 15th Street in front of Kerr Admin building. This work has required the closure of the both sidewalks from Adams Street to Jefferson Street from July 17-July 25. Crews are working diligently to quickly complete the sidewalk work in order to permanently reopen both sidewalks. Once this work is completed, the 15th Street crosswalk at Adams Street will again be established to provide access to parking lots east of 15th Street.

Sidewalk closure at Adams: As part of the Washington Way/15th Street Improvements project, the City contractor will begin performing sidewalk removal in front of Adams Hall on Friday, July 18. This work will allow the realignment of the road and sidewalk and the installation of new sidewalk and landscaping in front of Adams Hall. The eastern access will be closed until completion of the project in September 2014.

Valley Library: Due to repairs associated with the building chiller, patrons of the Valley Library will experience limited cooling July 21-25. This is necessary while the OSU Facilities Services Refrigeration Crew replaces the condenser water pump, for the main building chiller.

McNary drill: The Corvallis Fire Department will be conducting a training drill at McNary Hall on the following dates and times: July 22, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.; July 23-25, 7:30 p.m. to midnight. During these times the department will set up a number of fire apparatus in the north end of the east McNary parking lot and will occupy primarily just the east stairwell area of McNary Hall.

Milne: As part of the Restroom ADA Upgrades project, the bathrooms in Milne will be closed through September.

Jefferson Way and Waldo Place: As part of the Student Experience Center project, from June 16 – Sept. 22, Waldo Place (from Jefferson Way to Campus Way) and Jefferson Way (from Waldo Place to 26th Street) will be closed to traffic for street improvement work. Detour signs will be in place to route traffic down Benton to Washington Way. Also the Library loading dock will be temporarily relocated to the east side of the building at the Fire Lane.

Washington Way/ 15th Street: Paving phase one has been completed north of the railroad tracks, and the opening of the new and improved Washington Way/15th corridor to be less than six weeks away. Still to be completed are working on the sidewalks, landscaping and railroad upgrades. Access has been restored to Benton Place from Washington Way.

Weather

Corvallis: Half-way through summer already? But there are so many songs yet to sing. With August looming, we’re having a bit of a summer weather splutter as a chance of showers lingers until Friday, with temperatures in the high 70s and overnight lows in the 50s. Things heading back to the 90s for the weekend.

Central Oregon: Thunderstorms will increase the possibility of fire in Central Oregon this week. Highs in the 70s and lows in the 40s-50s. Warming for the weekend.

Newport: Showers likely through the week with highs in the 60s and lows in the 50s. Sunny and lovely over the weekend.